It was one of the few times in recent months that the Radnor High junior has slowed down. Lally averages 10.4 points per game for the Red Raiders' basketball team, which stands second behind undefeated Springfield in the Central League's overall standings. The Cougars (21-0, 16-0) have clinched first place, but Radnor (16-3, 13-3) was out to spoil Springfield's bid to complete a perfect run through the league Tuesday.

The rising Red Raiders almost did that before falling 61-58 as the Cougars finished an undefeated regular season run through the league.

Radnor began the season 5-0 before dropping a 46-33 home decision to Springfield. Since then, only a 38-32 loss at Lower Merion had marred the Red Raiders' second-half efforts. Coach Mark Jordan's team took an eight-game winning streak into Springfield.

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During those eight wins, Lally, who did not have a field goal in the loss to Springfield and got only one in the loss at Lower Merion, has averaged 13.3 points per game.

"She's played her best in the last three weeks," Jordan said.

In addition to improving her basketball game, Lally has been working to prepare for the spring, when she will spend a lot of time on the Schuylkill River with Radnor's crew team. She is one of the top 11th-grade rowers in the country.

Saturday, she was supposed to be at Villanova University for a testing program that will help those who are in charge of selecting the national junior crew. After that, she was to have headed to Delaware County Christian School for a Radnor basketball game. The weather put an end to those plans.

"My freshman year I joined the crew club team we have here (at Radnor)," said Lally, whose family moved from the Upper Merion School District when she was in kindergarten.

She has advanced in that sport to being a member the 2009 Junior National Team. Before the spring is over, she hopes to be among those at the national selection camp. In August, she would like to be in a boat that is competing in the Junior World Championship event in Racice, Czech Republic.

When the Radnor basketball team headed to Florida in December to compete in the Orlando Invitational to begin its season, Lally was in Texas working with the top Junior rowers in the country.

"I think that's why I started the season a little slower than the others," said Lally, who averaged four points in her first four starts before dropping in 14 in a 21-19 win over Conestoga. Her top scoring effort was 19 in a victory over Garnet Valley in a game in which she was 7 for 8 at the foul line.

Lally started playing basketball in the township leagues not long after moving to Radnor.

"I've always loved the sport," she said.

She spent two summers with the Comets AAU program playing for coaches Renie Shields (Archbishop Carroll assistant) and Linda Genther (The Academy of Notre Dame assistant). Among her teammates were Shannon Shields and Nora McGeever of Carroll, Marikate Gardler and Carly Hazinsky of Cardinal O'Hara and Kimmy Hermann of Sacred Heart.

"I didn't play much basketball last summer," Lally said. "I know that's one of the reasons why it took a while for my game to come around this season."

With senior Kelyn Freedman leading the county in scoring and several other experienced players in the lineup from the team that advanced to the second round of the Class AAA district tournament last winter, Radnor had high expectations when this season began.

"I know I had more confidence," Lally said. "I think we were all more sure of ourselves as a team. (Jordan) has been telling us how much he expects of us and how we should be the team that wants it more than anybody else. He let me know he wanted me to be more of a scorer this year."

When she has time, she has been looking into colleges at which she can compete in rowing and prepare for a career in the business world or in broadcasting. Her sister, Katie, who was the 2005 Daily Times Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, is a freshman in one of Penn State's honors programs.

"The rest of (basketball season) should be interesting," Lally said. "And I'm really looking forward to the spring."